Attorney Yifa Segal, director of the International Legal Forum (ILF), spoke with Arutz Sheva about the New York Times’ recent publication of an op-ed piece by arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti, sitting in an Israeli jail for numerous acts of murder. Segal blasted the paper for its terrible lapse in moral judgement in allowing the publication of the piece.

“I read Barghouti’s op-ed in the New York Times this week and I have to tell you that I was completely appalled by what he says there, but it was not surprising, because he will use every stage you give him to spread his propaganda, lies and hatred.

“I think the New York Times made a terrible mistake in allowing him...it’s a choice by the editors to allow this person, who is sitting in jail for numerous murders and is possibly the worst terrorist that we know of, to spread his propaganda and lies in their newspaper - and they are granting him legitimacy by giving him an op-ed space.”

Segal said that the Times was still morally at fault even though the Barghouti article was only presented as an opinion and not as fact. “Yes this was [an ‘opinion’ piece] and yes, there was a disclaimer at the end, but first of all, people don’t always read the entire article, and second, the very fact that he was given a place on that central stage is bad enough, and I condemn the New York Times for allowing that to happen.”